Improvement in air-brakes



N0.l54,098. 1' v Patented Aug.11,l874.Y

Witnesses: G z lnvenr:

THE GRAPHIC C0.FHUTD L|TH.3B& N PARK PLADEJLY.

UNITED STATES- Piriniv'r OFFICE.

JOSEPH sirnenn, ori-'NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN AIR-BRAKES.

Specicatlun forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,098, datedvAugust` 11, 1874; lapplication filed July 1o, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH STEGER, of the city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inAir-Brakes,of which the following is a specification:

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichFigure l represents a longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan.Fig. 3 is a detached section of thevacuum-cylinder in a larger scalethan the'previous figures.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in a vacuum-cylinder containing two pistons, therods of which extend out through the heads of said chamber inbppesitedirections and connect with the' brake-levers of a railroad-car, incombination with a pipe which enters the vacuumcylinder at a pointbetween the two pistons, and which connects with a steam-nozzlesecured'to or connected with the locomotiveboiler in such a manner that,by admitting steam to said steam-nozzle the air from the vacuum-cylinderis exhausted, and by the action of the atmosphere on the two pistons insaid vacuum-cylinder the brakes are simultaneously applied to all thewheels of the car.

Each of the pistons in the vacuum-cylinderV is constructed with twoheads and an intermediate air-space, which communicates through achannel in the piston-rod, with the exhaustspace of the cylinder, whilethe packings of said heads are composed of rings of leather or otherexible material, which project beyond the outer surfaces of the heads,so that by the combined action of the two heads, the intermediateair-space, and the projecting packling-rings, leakage of air past thepiston is prevented, and at the same time comparatively little power isrequired to move the piston in the vacuum-cylinder.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the platform of a railroad-car,which is supported by two trucks, B B, each of which has four wheels, CG, as shown in Fig. 2. Between the two trucks is situated thevacuum-chamber, or cylinder D, which is fastened to the under side ofthe platform A. This vacuum-chamber is made in theform of a cylinder,and it is provided at about the middle of its the plan commonly employedin injectors or ejectors, so that, by admitting steam to said nozzle theair|` in the pipe E and in the vacuumchambers connected to said pipewill be rareed. The vacuum-chamber D is provided with two pistons, G,which are situated on opposite sides of the aperture a. The rods c ofthe pistons extend through the heads of the vacuum-chamber and theyconnect by chains d with levers e, which have their fulcra on the4brake-heads f, extending across the inner wheels of the truck B. Fromsaid levers extend rods g to the brake-heads f', which extend across theoutside wheels of the truck B, the brake-heads being suspended'from thetruckframes by means of loops which pass through the brake-shoes g g.The pistons G are each constructed with two heads, h h', with anintervening air-space, i, (Fig. 3,) which communicates by a channel, j,in the piston-rod with the exhaust-space between the two pistons. Eachof the heads h and h is furnished with a packing-ring or cup, 7c or k',which is made of leather or other suitable material, and which projectsbeyond the outer surface of its head h or h. 4If the air is exhaustedfrom the vacu- 11m-chamber D, the packing-ring k is exposed to a uniformpressure from all sides, while the packing-ring k is exposed to theatmospheric pressure from the outside, and to the pressure of therarelied air from the inside, and, consequently, said packing-ring isfirmly held in contact with the sides of the vacuum-chamber, and noleakage can take place. At the the vacuum-chamber I) Vbecomes rareed,the pistons G are forced inward by the atmos-e pheric pressure, thelevers e swing toward each other and the brake-shoes g g are drawn up toall the wheels of the trucks B B at the same time, and by usingV twodouble pistons the brakes in contact with the wheels for any desiredllength of time and with an undiminishing power,I so that atrain of carscan be stopped from the engineers stand within a comparatively shortspace. When the connection between the steam-nozzle and the boiler isclosed, the brakes are taken off by the force of their own springs, thepower of which is so regulated that they also carry back the pistons Gto their original position. f

What I claim as new, and desire to securefby Letters Patent, is- 1. 1ncombination with the cylinder of a vacuum air-brake, pistons G, each.provided with heads 71, h', an intervening air-chamber, i,

u and a channel, j, substantially as described. .in the vacuum-cylinder,I am enabled to hold 2. The pistons G G, each constructed with heads hh, in combination with the cylinder D of a vacuum air-brake, thesteampipe E, nozzle F, the piston-rods C, and brake mechanism,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand.

Y JOSEPH STEGER.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, JN0. D. PATTEN.

